Page 39 of Her Cadillac Cowboy
Since her father already had the head of the electric bed half raised and was staring directly at her feet, Sara saw no reason to answer.
“Your feet hurt you while you were working late, too?”
“Don’t be silly, Daddy.” Think of candy canes and milk chocolate, she told herself in a valiant attempt to keep her smile in place. “The house was dark when I got home. I took my shoes off so I wouldn’t disturb you on my way to my room.” The truth once again, mostly.
“Now that’s downright amusin’. Just ’cause the lights are out don’t mean a body’s sleepin’. ’Specially when I’m suffering all manner a worry about my daughter, who should know better than to cause her sick Daddy a moment’s concern.”
Guilt’s inward groan nearly cost her the smile. “I’m sorry, Daddy, but by the time I was able to call, it was too late. You really should be asleep,” she chided gently.
“Hmmph. So you say, little girl.” He studied her face for a moment.
Sara had nothing to feel guilty about. So what if she’d kissed a detested family enemy as if he were the last man on earth? She was a normal, healthy female and had needs. If he was good for nothing else, Josh was good for easing needs and for stirring them up as well. Too good, because she certainly didn’t feeleased.
“Well, you do look a might tense, but your color’s up. Most people with a headache look a lot paler’n you.”
Sara jumped at the sound of her father’s voice. “What was that, Daddy?”
“I said your color’s mighty high for a woman with a headache.”
Sara rubbed her temples. Her smile fled, and her head pounded in earnest at her father’s querulous tone. “I have a lot on my mind right now, Daddy.”
There was that stare again. Only this time her father chose to run it from top to toe instead of just studying her face. “Yep, I’d say you got too much on your mind when you can’t even button your clothes straight. You been dressed like that all day? Maybe you’re the one needs a nursemaid.”
Sara gritted her teeth and dragged back her smile. She couldn’t yell at him. She couldn’t admit how she’d become so disheveled, and she wouldn’t allow her father to make her out to be an idiot. The only option left was to ignore his provoking remarks and attempt to distract him.
She nearly choked as she infused her voice with sweetness and pleaded, “Daddy, what can I do for you before I go to bed?”
“You might tell me what you were doing with the McKinley boy at this hour of the night that got your buttons all askew.”
In his voice, Sara heard all the anger she wanted to heave at him and didn’t.
But he’d thrown down the gauntlet, and she must either walk out and risk causing another heart attack or accept the challenge and explain herself.
“My car’s in the shop. McKinley offered me a ride home.”
“How’d he come to know you needed a ride home?” her father accused.
“I...” What could she say? Suddenly, Sara was very tired of trying to placate her father with half-truths. “He asked while we were at dinner.”
“You went to dinner with a McKinley?” The question exploded from him, and for a moment he looked anything but frail.
“I had to, Daddy. I needed to make one last effort to get Josh to break the lease.” She knew the excuse was weak. But she wasn’t about to tell her father that Josh was the temporary guardian of a boy who vandalized some of Carson’s cars. Or that an arbitrary judge ruled the boy must work off the damages at the dealership.
“Did McKinley break the lease?”
The question was so mild and so far from the tirade she expected, Sara forgot to watch her words. “He refused to discuss it.”
“So you were out until nearly 2:00 a.m. discussing how to pamper a juvenile delinquent.”
“How did you hear about him? And that boy won’t be pampered. For your information, Beadle is taking him on.”
“Gene told me. Thought I should know what’s going on at my own place of business.”
“He shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“He did what you shoulda done. As for givin’ the boy to Beadle, that may be the first thing you’ve done right since you got back. So what excuse can you give for being in the company of a McKinley for one minute longer than you had to be?”
Sara sat, stunned at the meager praise her father doled out with one hand while the other backhanded her with accusatory questions and guilt. She shouldn’t be surprised, but she was. And she couldn’t think of an answer, so she didn’t.
“I’m waiting, girl.”
She drew in a breath and stood up. “You’ll wait a long time, Daddy. ‘Cause I can’t explain why I was in Josh McKinley’s company tonight. I’m tired, and I’m going to bed. If you need something, ring for K.C. We hired him to give you round-the-clock care. For once, you’ll let your nurse do the job without badgering or browbeating him into quitting. If I hear one peep from you before tomorrow morning, I’ll ask Doc Biggers to recommend a nursing home.” She turned and stalked from the room.
Halfway to her room, Sara encountered K.C. belting a robe and hurrying toward her father.
“He’s in a fine temper, K.C. I’m sorry, but I caused it.”
He breezed past her. “Don’t worry, Ms. Carson,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll have him calm and asleep inside a half hour.”
Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but worry, especially when she got what she asked for. Through all the hours she lay sleepless in her bed that night, she heard not a single sound from her temperamental parent.
